Newsletter

Whiting at the top of inshore fishing list

High winds, cold temperatures and spring tides slowed the coastal fishing activity over the weekend, but signals continue that spring fishing action is close.

Reports from fishing camps, marinas and charter fishing guides show that weather conditions and tides had many fishermen looking for other things to do other than wetting a line, but the few that ventured out reported action with several species, both offshore and inshore.

The offshore waters around the reefs continue to offer excellent sheepshead action, and this is expected to continue for another month and possibly longer. Fiddler crabs remain the best bait.

Captain Judy Helmey of Miss Judy Charters has kept us abreast of much of the offshore activity during the winter doldrums period. Her latest assessment: Many species are biting more aggressively with the rise in water temperatures.

Reef flounder

Flounder continue to be on the catch list around the reefs and wrecks, and Capt. Judy noted that the better action with these fish is away from the obstruction area rather than over it.

Carolina rigs with mud minnows for bait work well, she said, and added that bait strips, including squid, are good to use in these areas.

In the blue-water area of the Gulf Stream, blackfin tuna in the 25-30 pound range are being caught. They can be found up from the bottom about 75 feet. They have been attracted to artificial bait such as bucktails and strip baits.

"The yellow butterflies are beginning to show up, and usually that is an indication that the king mackerel also will be showing up offshore," Capt. Judy said.

She also noted that bait fish are showing up inshore in the rivers and creeks. This information coincides with this week's reports from many fishing camps and marinas.

For the inshore area, the catch list is small in numbers this week, mostly due to spring tides and weather conditions.

Currently, inshore waters are muddy from extremely low tides. However, they are beginning to clear, and with the clearing will come more activity.

Whiting catches increase

Our inshore reports show that whiting are climbing fast on the catch list. As water temperatures rise, more of these fish will be found along the entire coast.

From Brunswick northward, the catch reports of whiting are increasing. These bottom-feeders are being taken along the beachfronts, in the channels of the sounds and in many of the river system.

While the catch reports are increasing, it should be noted that no large concentrations of these fish have yet been reported from the channels or inlets.

One of the signals that spring fishing is about to arrive comes from reports that small bonnethead sharks are showing up in the same areas where whiting are being caught.

Inshore sheepshead catches still are high on the list from many of the report areas. McQueen's Inlet on the ocean side of St. Catherines Island continues to draw a lot of interest, and so does the deep-water areas of Blackbeard Creek.

Only scattered reports of spotted sea trout action have been received, and most of these have come from south of Darien and from Chatham County waters.

Kilkenny Fish camp, which is located in Bryan County east of Richmond Hill, gave one of the best reports of spotted sea trout activity. Another came from Larry's Bait and Tackle in Port Wentworth for the Back River segment of the Savannah River system.

Bull reds

Reports of large red drum moving into the sounds and river systems started about three weeks ago, and they continue to show up in the reports.

Dencho Vassilev, who lives at Thunderbolt and fishes the Wilmington River, landed a whopper while fishing close to home March 2.

Fishing from the bank near an old dock, and using an artificial bait known as a D.O.A shrimp, he landed and released one measured approximately 30 inches long.

He fished the outgoing tide about 5 p.m. in an area where he usually catches spotted sea trout.

Striper action on the Savannah River apparently is beginning to slow down, and there is some indication that larger stripers are now starting to move up river.

Bait reports

Live bait shrimp are becoming more widely available, but there are still several fishing camps and marinas that do not currently offer them.

Those locations contacted this week that do have live shrimp are Larry's Bait and Tackle in Port Wentworth, Tybee Island Bait and Tackle at Lazaretto Creek, Bandy's adjacent to the Diamond Causeway leading to Skidaway Island, Kilkenny Fish Camp east of Richmond Hill, Yellow Bluff Fishing Camp in Liberty County, and Two Way Fish Camp in Darien.

Many of these same locations are carrying fiddler crabs for sheepshead bait and mud minnows.

Currently, inshore coastal waters are still muddy from spring tide levels, but should be clearing, possibly by the weekend.

As the waters clear, look for increased activity with many of the species mentioned, particularly with whiting and spotted sea trout